In recent years, during the winter months, COVID relief dollars have funded nearly all of the state’s homeless services.
The money, from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), will cover the costs of emergency warming shelters this winter, but expire in September, according to Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Fox.
“We do not have any ongoing annualized cold weather funding in place for next year either, and winter comes every single year,” Fox said. “We are quantifying the impact across every single state agency that has any funding through ARPA for housing.”
Fox was one of several homeless service providers and housing advocates gathered in Hartford’s YWCA to discuss the upcoming legislative session. While the Coalition’s legislative agenda isn’t confirmed, a demand for more reliable cold weather funding is a priority, Fox said.
Fox said currently nearly 5,000 people in Connecticut are experiencing homelessness, and ARPA funds account for 72% of the Greater Hartford area’s cold weather programming and 74% of the region’s flex funding, which can go toward help with security deposits or rent, according to Hartford-based housing nonprofit Journey Home.
Residents aged 55 and older are the quickest growing unhoused population in the state, with 240 unhoused elderly residents in the Hartford Coordinated Access Network, which manages homeless services for the area.
The need for increased funding is becoming more acute, impacting more than 100 families in the Hartford area.
“There are people and women and families across the state who have no access to running water or sewage,” Fox said. “Then day care providers who are saying, ‘Hey, so what do I do with this baby? Has this baby even been potty trained when the mom has not had access to running water or a toilet?’ These are real stories that I'm hearing often across the state.”
Homeless service providers say state lawmakers need to appropriate a guaranteed annual amount to operate the cold weather shelters this legislative session, to allow shelters to prepare for next winter.
Theresa Nicholson, executive director of South Park Inn emergency shelter in Hartford, said lawmakers aren’t aware of the severity of the homelessness crisis.
“We're going to have these folks outside in doorways, in places, establishments of business, and go wherever they can to try and stay warm, and some won't make it,” Nicholson said.
At least five people died in Connecticut last winter while living outdoors.
Homeless service providers recommended the state cut back on the amount of state debt paid off each year, to provide some budget leeway for homeless service funding, but state lawmakers say they need to better assess the budget before committing any funds.
“The elephant in the room for all of these discussions is the fiscal constraints that make it impossible for state legislators to spend any money on anything really right now,” State Sen. Matt Lesser said.
